With CNG variant, Hyundai looking at rise in Accent sales

Chennai, June 9 (IANS) Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s second largest car manufacturer, hopes to log around 20 percent higher sales of its mid-sized sedan Accent in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) with the launch of the compressed natural gas (CNG) variant, said a top official. “Presently, we sell around 250-275 petrol Accents in Delhi and the NCR. This we expect to go up,” Arvind Saxena, senior vice-president of marketing and sales, told IANS.

The dual fuel variant - petrol and CNG - will cost Rs.56,500 more than the petrol model which is currently retailed at Rs.499,000 in Delhi and NCR, he added.

The CNG Accent would have a manual selector switch, which would enable the driver to easily switch from petrol to CNG and vice-versa. The on-board CNG cylinder has a capacity of approximately 12 kg.

The petrol Accent was launched in the Indian market in 1999 with a 1.5 litre petrol engine which, without any modification, is compatible with CNG.

Hyundai Motor has tied up with Korean company CEV for the CNG kit, said to meet Euro III emission norms.

According to Saxena, the market size of CNG-powered mid-sized sedans is difficult to estimate as there is a huge unorganised segment in play.

On the impact of the fuel price hike, he said: “In the short term, the increase in interest rate, raw material prices and the fuel price have had a negative impact on the car industry. However, the long-term view seems to be interesting.”

Saxena discounted the possibility of Verna coming out with a CNG variant.

Hyundai Motor India sold 5,874 units of Accent and Verna put together in May 2008.